CHICAGO (AP) — The Rod Blagojevich who once challenged a prosecutor to face him like a man, the glad-handing politician who took to celebrity TV shows to profess his innocence, was nowhere to be found Wednesday as he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption.

Frowning and pulling nervously at his tie, the disgraced former governor seemed like another person as he stepped up to address the sentencing judge. Bluster once as conspicuous as his famously lavish head of dark hair was wiped out, a victim of his June convictions on charges that included attempting to sell President Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat.

In a low voice, the two-term Democrat apologized again and again, telling Judge James Zagel he had made "terrible mistakes."

"I caused it all. I'm not blaming anybody," Blagojevich said, trying with uncharacteristic humility to avert severe punishment. "I was the governor and I should have known better and I am just so incredibly sorry."

It was not enough for Zagel, who gave the 54-year-old a sentence close to the 15 to 20 years prosecutors had sought...

...The boyish-looking defendant continued pursuing the spotlight after he was removed from office, writing a book, appearing in reality TV shows such as "Celebrity Apprentice" and even appearing in a TV ad in which he opens a briefcase overflowing not with money but with pistachios. "Rod Blagojevich does it innocently," was the line.

"His behavior and conduct once he was charged was almost a template for what you don't want a defendant to do," said Joel Levin, a former federal prosecutor. "... He did everything possible to alienate the prosecutors and the judge and, ultimately, it came back to hurt him."

It took two trials for prosecutors to snare Blagojevich. His first ended deadlocked with jurors agreeing on just one of 24 counts — that Blagojevich lied to the FBI. Jurors at his retrial convicted him on 17 of 20 counts, including bribery and attempted extortion...

Good riddance. Man, Illinois has had some bad luck with its governors and lieutenant governors, hasn't it? I heard somewhere that something like four of them have faced criminal charges in recent years.

What a flipflop. When this started he steadfastly maintained his innocence. Now he switches sides and admits "terrible mistakes".

The evidence against him was considered a 'slam dunk', yet it takes 2 trials and years to put him behind bars. That should be frightening about the court system that white collar criminals usually go free and protesters get the book thrown at them.